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Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Asparagus and Mushroom Strata

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While it is starting to get spindly, asparagus is still available in our local farmers' markets. I've been wanting to make this strata for ages, but for one reason or another kept putting it off. I finally decided it was foolish not to try it while asparagus is so cheap and plentiful. I always welcome recipes that make company breakfast or brunch easier to do and I like stratas because they can be assembled the night before they're needed. This one, adapted from Better Homes and Gardens magazine, is really easy to assemble and it is a pleasant way to start the day. If you are looking for a recipe that will simplify the serving of breakfast or brunch, you might want to give this one a try. It will never replace Eggs Benedict, but it's easy to do and festive. Here's the recipe.

Directions:1) Clean asparagus; snap off woody bases. Cut thick spears in half lengthwise. Cut spears into 3-inch pieces. In a large saucepan bring a small amount of water to boiling. Add asparagus. Cook, uncovered, 1 minute. Drain; rinse with cold water. Drain on paper towels.2) Lightly grease a 2-quart rectangular baking dish; set aside. In a large skillet heat oil. Add mushrooms, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook, uncovered, over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until nearly all liquid has evaporated. Set aside.3) In a bowl toss together the Swiss cheese and dillweed.4) Cover bottom of baking dish with half of the bread sticks. Top with half of the mushrooms, half of the cheese mixture, and half of the asparagus. Repeat with remaining mushrooms, cheese mixture, and asparagus. Top with remaining bread pieces.5) In a bowl beat together eggs and half-and-half. Pour mixture over layers in dish. Press lightly with back of a spoon to thoroughly moisten bread. Sprinkle grated cheese over top. Cover and chill 2 hours. Bake, uncovered, in a 325 degree F oven about 45 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

To Make Ahead: Layer the strata and pour the egg mixture over layers. Cover and chill up to 24 hours. Bake, uncovered, as directed above.

I bought enough asparagus to make the soup recipe you posted last week and then some, so this looks like another very good recipe to try. I will let you know how the soup turns out for me , I can't wait to make and eat it!

Looks like a piece of dessert...beautiful :D I love anything with eggs. Love that it's so thick. Love the texture. Must be very delicious. I often make steamed eggs with some minced meat to eat with rice.

I think it's my engineer training that makes me just as curious about the process as the result. And the project manager side loves anything that you can assemble ahead of time. As always, great photography!

I like vegetable stratas like this one. And I agree, they are so easy to do for breakfast company! And you can serve meat on the side (if you want) and they seem so much lighter than the sausage and cheese ones! I will have to try this next time I have company --

Stratas are big winners in my brunch menus...exactly due to the fact that not only do I get praises for it ;O)...it all got done the day before!!!Your ingredients are making me famished right now.I better go prepare myself an exciting tiny breafast;O)Ciao for now and flavourful wishes, Claudia

Stratas are my go-to for brunch. I love how you can easily adapt them depending on your crowd's tastes and the fact they are assembled the night before makes for a much easier morning! I've never thought of making one with asparagus- sounds great!

I tried to make a strata once, and despite the fact that everyone says they are fool-proof mine was a flop. :( I know I did something wrong, so I need to take a lesson from your lovely strata and give it a go again!

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